If a patient is menstruating when a urine sample is collected, the nurse should note this on the laboratory request.

During lumbar puncture, the nurse must note the initial intracranial pressure and the color of the cerebrospinal fluid.

If a patient can’t cough to provide a sputum sample for culture, a heated aerosol treatment can be used to help to obtain a sample.

If eye ointment and eyedrops must be instilled in the same eye, the eyedrops should be instilled first.

When leaving an isolation room, the nurse should remove her gloves before her mask because fewer pathogens are on the mask.

Skeletal traction, which is applied to a bone with wire pins or tongs, is the most effective means of traction.

The total parenteral nutrition solution should be stored in a refrigerator and removed 30 to 60 minutes before use. Delivery of a chilled solution can cause pain, hypothermia, venous spasm, and venous constriction.

Drugs aren’t routinely injected intramuscularly into edematous tissue because they may not be absorbed.

When caring for a comatose patient, the nurse should explain each action to the patient in a normal voice.

Dentures should be cleaned in a sink that’s lined with a washcloth.

A patient should void within 8 hours after surgery.

An EEG identifies normal and abnormal brain waves.

Samples of feces for ova and parasite tests should be delivered to the laboratory without delay and without refrigeration.

The autonomic nervous system regulates the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

When providing tracheostomy care, the nurse should insert the catheter gently into the tracheostomy tube. When withdrawing the catheter, the nurse should apply intermittent suction for no more than 15 seconds and use a slight twisting motion.

A low-residue diet includes such foods as roasted chicken, rice, and pasta.

A rectal tube shouldn’t be inserted for longer than 20 minutes because it can irritate the rectal mucosa and cause loss of sphincter control.